Water heater or boiler



June 13, 1939.

M. l. LARSEN WATER HEATER OR BOILER Filed Dec. 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 13, 1939. M. l. LARSEN WATER HEATER OR BOILER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1956 rili ill 1 .J

Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER HEATER R BOILER Martin I. Larsen, Chicago, Ill. Application December 5, 1936, Serial No. 114,497

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the water heater or boiler illustrated, described and claimed in my Patent No.'1,993,6'74, granted on March 5, 1935..

The general object of the present invention is to improve upon certain details of construction in this boiler or heater and particularly to provide a flue for the conduction of the hot air and products of combustion from the burner, which flue shall be so constructed that it will be readily put in place and removed therefrom, and which is so constructed that it will present a very large heat radiating surface.

A further object is to provide a plurality of water circulating tubes which extend into the combustion chamber from the lower end of the water space and then extend upward closely adjacent to the flue and discharge at their upper ends into the upper portion of the water space, thus securing circulation.

A still further object is to provide improved means for supporting .a heat deflector and so construct this heat deflector that it constitutes a trap for any condensation collecting in the flue.

Still another object is to provide a construction of this character in which the heating elements proper may be readily welded to each other and then inserted into the tank and welded thereto.

()ther objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of my water heater.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section through one wall of the combustion chamber showing one of the distributing tubes partly broken away.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through a modified form of my invention, the outer shell being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to these drawings, l0 designates generally the tank which is double-walled, the space between the outer and inner walls being filled with non-heat conducting material designated l I. This tank at its extreme lower end rests upon a base l2 into which projects a gas pipe l3 supporting at its inner end a burner M. This gas pipe is provided with any usual or suitable means whereby a proper mixture of gas and air may be admitted to the burner. Permanently welded to the interior of the tank adjacent its lower end is an annular supporting ring l5 whose bottom face is machined and adapted to receive a gasket l6. Engaged with the bottom surface of this ring I5 is a frustro-conical combustion chamber formed of relatively thin metal and designated H. The upper end of this combustion chamber is formed with a central downwardly flangedopening l8. Disposed within the conical portion of the combustion chamber I! are the inwardly and upwardly curved water circulating tubes l9 which may have any desired number. These tubes open at their lower ends through the lower end of the wall of the combustion chamber and at their upper ends open through the top of the combustion chamber. The upper ends of the tubes l9 extend beyond the top of the combustion chamber and are there provided with couplings 20 whereby these tubes may be connected with vertical extension tubes 2| open at their upper ends into the interior of the tank. Preferably there will be six of the circulating tubes l9 and, of course, six corresponding vertical tubes 2!. It is to be understood that the pipes 2| are part of the circulating pipes or tubes I9 and might be made in one piece therewith, if desired.

Bolted to the top 22 of the tank II is a packing gland 23 containing packing 24. Extendingupward through the center of the tank ll is a flue designated generally 25. This flue, as illustrated in Figure 2, is deeply corrugated longitudinally so as to provide radiating hollow fins opening into each other at the center of the flue. This flue is cast and the upper end of the flue is formed at the center of the flue with a vertical smooth-faced central portion 26 which is adapted toextend up through the packing gland 23 and through the packing therein and be connected to a stack smoke flue or like duct whereby the products of combustion may be carried off. The lower end of the central flue 25 is likewise formed at its center with a downwardly extending central tubular portion 21 which, however, is screw threaded and engages with interior screw threads on the downwardly extending flange 18. It will be seen from Figure 2 that the circulating tubes 2i extend upward between the wings or radial extensions of the flue 25.

The tank is provided adjacent its lower end with an intake opening and pipe 28 for feed or return water and there are four outlet openings 29 in the top 22 of the tank and any one or all of these openings can be used as outlets leading to the radiators or other pipes or ducts through which the hot water is to be conducted. Furthermore, if the water tubes 2i should become clogged, a cleaner can be passed through these openings 29 and into the tubes 2| and into the circulating portions I9 to thus clear the circulating tubes. A drain cock 30 is provided leading from the tank just above the bottom ring IS. The usual water gauge 3| may be attached to the tank and the upper leg of this water gauge may be provided with a pressure gauge 32.

In the construction which I have just described, the flue is capable of detachment by removing the bolts connecting the combustion chamber I! to the ring and then the combustion chamber with the flue can be readily removed.

Disposed above the burner l4 and on a line with the lower end of the combustion chamber is a cup-shaped trap 33 having a central stud bolt 34 engaged with a supporting band 35 having an aperture at its middle to receive the stud bolt 34. Engaging the walls of the tank [I] with a flange 36 of the base l2 are angular stud bolts 31, the inner ends of these bolts being engaged with downwardly extending ends 38 of the band 35. The cup-shaped member 36 constitutes a heat deflector or spreader for spreading the heat arising from the burner 14 so as to force this heat into intimate contact with the wall of the combustion chamber and with the circulation tubes l9 and also constitutes a trap to receive any condensation products which may drip from the central flue.

In Figure 4, I have illustrated a modified construction wherein the top of the tank is welded to the side walls of the tank and wherein the lower end of the combustion chamber is outwardly flanged, as at Ila and welded to the wall of the tank instead of being attached to the ring l5, as shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, in this construction, the central flue 25a is not contracted at its upper end and formed with the portion 26, but extends straight upward and abuts against the top 2211. of the tank while its lower end is welded at 39 to the upper end of the combustion chamber. The construction which is illustrated in Figures 2 and 5 secures a better a heating surface in the flue and makes the heater more efficient and cheaper to manufacture. The combustion chamber will be pressed or died to shape from the same material as the tank and constitutes, of course, part of the bottom for the tank or the whole of the bottom of the tank in Figure 4. After the parts shown in Figure 4 are put together and welded, the heating unit can be inserted into the tank and be welded to itpermanently. Then the top 22a can be put on and welded to the wall of the tank, as previously described.

While I have illustrated a gas burner I4 as disposed below the combustion chamber, I wish it distinctly understood that any form of heater may be used, thus, for instance, an oil burner, a gas burner or an electric heater, and I do not wish to be limited to this detail except as may be defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A water heater, including a liquid containing tank having a top, a substantially conical combustion chamber operatively connected at its lower end to the wall of the tank and extending upward into the tank, a longitudinally extending central flue, opening at its lower end through the upper end of the combustion chamber and at its upper end opening through the top of the tank, said flue having radiating hollow fins and liquid circulation pipes extending downward from the upper portion of the tank through the top of the combustion chamber and then extending outward and downward through the side wall of the combustion chamber and opening to the interior of the tank, the upper ends of said circulation pipes being open, the circulation pipes being disposed between the hollow radiating fins of the flue and in close contiguity to the exterior surface of the fins.

2. A water heater, including a liquid containing tank having a heat insulating wall, the tank having a top formed with outlet openings and a central opening, a packing gland carried by the tank around the central opening, an annular supporting member attached to the inner face of the tank wall adjacent its lower end, a substantially conical combustion chamber extending upward through the opening defined by said annulus and having a flange at its lower end attached to the annulus, the upper end of the combustion chamber having a downwardly extending annular central flange, a flue having a diametrically enlarged middle portion formed to provide a plurality of radially extending hollow fins, the lower end of the flue being contracted and having screw threaded engagement with the last named flange, the upper end of the flue having a diametrically contracted extension disposed through said packing gland, a heating element disposed below the combustion chamber, and circulation elements opening each at its lower end through the lower end of the com bustion chamber into the tank and at its upper end extending upward through the upper end of.

the combustion chamber and opening into the tank. MARTIN I. LARSEN. 

